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Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 10:12 am
A disbelief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes and support of discriminatory behavior against Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in the U.S., according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The data analysis showed unfailingly "that the disbelief in human evolution is the driving factor and most consistent predictor of prejudice in comparison to other relevant constructs," the paper states.
In the Israel-based study, people with a higher belief in evolution were more likely to support peace among Palestinians, Arabs and Jews. In the study involving countries in the Islamic world, belief in evolution was associated with less prejudice toward Christians and Jews. And in the study based in Eastern Europe, where Orthodox Christians are the majority, a belief in evolution was linked with less prejudice toward gypsies, Jews and Muslims.
Syropoulos posits that a belief in evolution may expand people's "moral circle," leading to a sense that "we have more in common than things that are different."
The findings also suggest that "teaching evolution seems to have side effects that might make for a better or more harmonious society," Leidner adds.
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-disbelief-...eater.html
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 11:22 am
Those with the temperament to prefer fantasy to reality prefers fantasies in which they are privileged and above other people.
would you have expected otherwise?
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 1:12 pm
(This post was last modified: April 5, 2022 at 1:13 pm by Fake Messiah.)
Yeah, the Bible Belt fought hardest to maintain slavery.
Or look at the long history of apartheid in South Africa, evolution was not allowed to be taught.
The Christian National Education system was formalized in 1948 and accepted as national policy from 1967 to 1993. The policy excluded the concept of evolution, taught a version of history that negatively characterized nonwhites, and made Bible education, including the teaching of creationism, and religious assemblies compulsory.
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 1:19 pm
I don't know the details of the study, but I wonder if the correlation doesn't go the other way. (ie. bigoted and narrow-minded people don't like to do much studying, and therefore aren't familiar enough with the facts to realize how plausible a theory evolution is.)
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 1:27 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 1:19 pm)yea vulcanlogician Wrote: I don't know the details of the study, but I wonder if the correlation doesn't go the other way. (ie. bigoted and narrow-minded people don't like to do much studying, and therefore aren't familiar enough with the facts to realize how plausible a theory evolution is.)
i am not sure there is any directionality from one to the other. rather it seems to me the two both arise out of, or at least are eased and expedited by, the same underlying thing.
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 1:29 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 10:12 am)Fake Messiah Wrote: A disbelief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes and support of discriminatory behavior against Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in the U.S., according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The data analysis showed unfailingly "that the disbelief in human evolution is the driving factor and most consistent predictor of prejudice in comparison to other relevant constructs," the paper states.
In the Israel-based study, people with a higher belief in evolution were more likely to support peace among Palestinians, Arabs and Jews. In the study involving countries in the Islamic world, belief in evolution was associated with less prejudice toward Christians and Jews. And in the study based in Eastern Europe, where Orthodox Christians are the majority, a belief in evolution was linked with less prejudice toward gypsies, Jews and Muslims.
Syropoulos posits that a belief in evolution may expand people's "moral circle," leading to a sense that "we have more in common than things that are different."
The findings also suggest that "teaching evolution seems to have side effects that might make for a better or more harmonious society," Leidner adds.
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-disbelief-...eater.html
Not surprising really, disbelief in evolution is overwhelmingly based among those who believe in an exclusionary and discriminatory religion.
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 3:30 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 1:29 pm)Nomad Wrote: (April 5, 2022 at 10:12 am)Fake Messiah Wrote: A disbelief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes and support of discriminatory behavior against Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in the U.S., according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The data analysis showed unfailingly "that the disbelief in human evolution is the driving factor and most consistent predictor of prejudice in comparison to other relevant constructs," the paper states.
In the Israel-based study, people with a higher belief in evolution were more likely to support peace among Palestinians, Arabs and Jews. In the study involving countries in the Islamic world, belief in evolution was associated with less prejudice toward Christians and Jews. And in the study based in Eastern Europe, where Orthodox Christians are the majority, a belief in evolution was linked with less prejudice toward gypsies, Jews and Muslims.
Syropoulos posits that a belief in evolution may expand people's "moral circle," leading to a sense that "we have more in common than things that are different."
The findings also suggest that "teaching evolution seems to have side effects that might make for a better or more harmonious society," Leidner adds.
https://phys.org/news/2022-04-disbelief-...eater.html
Not surprising really, disbelief in evolution is overwhelmingly based among those who believe in an exclusionary and discriminatory religion.
most buddhists don’t believe in evolution either.
Some discriminatory minds embrace evolution because it appears to provide a naturalistic sounding justification for discrimination.
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 3:44 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 3:30 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: (April 5, 2022 at 1:29 pm)Nomad Wrote: Not surprising really, disbelief in evolution is overwhelmingly based among those who believe in an exclusionary and discriminatory religion.
most buddhists don’t believe in evolution either.
Some discriminatory minds embrace evolution because it appears to provide a naturalistic sounding justification for discrimination.
Actually, most Buddhists (81%) do accept evolution. In fact, they are the religious group most accepting of biological evolution as the best explanation of biodiversity.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/02/04/religious-differences-on-the-question-of-evolution/
Boru
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 4:55 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 3:44 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: (April 5, 2022 at 3:30 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: most buddhists don’t believe in evolution either.
Some discriminatory minds embrace evolution because it appears to provide a naturalistic sounding justification for discrimination.
Actually, most Buddhists (81%) do accept evolution. In fact, they are the religious group most accepting of biological evolution as the best explanation of biodiversity.
[/url][url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/02/04/religious-differences-on-the-question-of-evolution/]https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2009/02/04/religious-differences-on-the-question-of-evolution/
Boru
I believe that on based on buddhists in the US. Buddhism has no historic or cultural tradition in the US. Those who self identify as buddhists who emigrate to the US are on average far more highly educated than the average buddhist in countries of their origin.
I have some personal experience with buddhists from south east asia, particularly Malaysia, Nepal and Burma, They seem typically vehemently, or as vehemently as buddhist continences allow, anti evolution.
They confidently rebut evolution with the same things heard on US senatorial campaign circuit: “If monkeys became men, why are there still monkeys”.
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RE: Disbelief in human evolution linked to racism & prejudice
April 5, 2022 at 5:40 pm
(April 5, 2022 at 1:27 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: (April 5, 2022 at 1:19 pm)yea vulcanlogician Wrote: I don't know the details of the study, but I wonder if the correlation doesn't go the other way. (ie. bigoted and narrow-minded people don't like to do much studying, and therefore aren't familiar enough with the facts to realize how plausible a theory evolution is.)
i am not sure there is any directionality from one to the other. rather it seems to me the two both arise out of, or at least are eased and expedited by, the same underlying thing.
Good point. I concur that it would be hard to establish directionality one way or the other. But the quotes from the OP seem to suggest people doing just that (meaning rejection of evolution causes racism). Again, I don't know the details of the study, but I'm more apt to agree with you that "the same underlying thing" causing both racism and rejection of evolution is more plausible.
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